A Change in Destiny
by AdventuresinMonsterLand
Summary: When the fairy tale world is threatened, the students of Ever After High must help protect it from the mythic dark entity that has sworn to take his revenge on all tales promised their Happily Ever After.
1. Smoke and Fire (Revised)

**Raven Queen, Daughter of the Evil Queen**

"We protect the dreams of children and help preserve a sense of childhood innocence and magic as they begin their journey into enter adulthood. Without us, without Fairytales, there is _no_ imagination, there is _no_ magic, no Happily Ever After," Headmaster Grimm says, his steely eyes looking out at us, locking in on every one of our faces.

Headmaster Grimm's annual speech draws to an end and I feel my stomach rumble with anticipation.

"In closing," he clears his throat, "I'd like to ask of each of you to keep your heads high and make the very most of this school year at Ever After High. Strive to make it the very best yet, and don't let last year's mishaps affect you; it's a clean slate, and Legacy Day students, please try to stay out of trouble." He smiles curtly and vanishes.

I feel sick. This is the year of Legacy Day, the day when I must pledge to follow my destiny to become the next Evil Queen of the entire magical world. Every fairy tale will be staring at me, expecting me to accept the role that was handed to me with my birth.

But it isn't not fair. I don't have a Happily Ever After waiting for me in the end, just darkness, a twisted path of evil that I've dreaded since I was nothing more than a fable.

I tentatively stand and lock eyes with Maddie; she crosses her eyes and sticks out her tongue; she hurriedly stifles her burst of giggles into her polka-dotted gloved hands.

Smiling, I make my way through the crowd towards her. The Three Little Pigs scurry when they see me and scream when they bump into Kitty Cheshire; she grins mischievously and disappears, her grin hanging in midair for a moment before disappearing with an airy _pop. _All the Wonderlanders have an air of lunacy to them and it tends to frighten the younger fairy tales.

"Grimm's speech was especially gloomy," Maddie says, drinking from her teacup. She seems to have an endless supply of fine china stored somewhere in her hat. She's explained to me before that magic connects it directly to her room back in Wonderland, but I can't imagine she has that many tea sets lying around, even if she is the heir of the Mad Hatter legacy.

"Isn't it every year?" I ask, remembering the previous years of solemn warnings and veiled threats for good behavior. Yes, I do believe Grimm is the perfect name for our Headmaster.

She stops and taps her chin three times.

"You're right!" she laughs, twirling a finger through her curls; her hair coils like a spring, bouncing back into messy perfection.

Maddie won't have a problem taking the pledge on Legacy Day. She's naturally giggly and whimsical, and I can only assume the touch of eccentricity will grow in the future. She's superbly effervescent, and I have no doubts she will make an amazing Mad Hatter.

"Shall we have some tea?" she asks excitedly, her gray eyes shimmering wildly.

"Sure," I smile.

I'm grateful to have her as my best friend. She's kind and non-judgmental, which is a rarity when it comes to associating with me, the supposedly "Evilest of them All". Without her friendship, I'd never had met Kitty or Lizzie Heart, although Lizzie does take her role as the next Red Queen of Wonderland very seriously. She relishes in the idea of being a powerful woman in a genre dominated by male heroes.

"If one of those _heroes_ in training tries to take _my _throne, it'd be OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!" she'd said passionately, her lips curling into a positively wicked grin. I can't even imagine the thoughts that bubble in the stewing cauldron of her mind. I shudder thinking of the horrors to come for the next Alice.

But she has a point. By not being a Princess, I get to avoid classes that highlight the necessities of being a Damsel in Distress or how to properly wear a tiara. In the era of mirror blogs, I wonder why our respective tales haven't evolved, haven't changed in order to instill better values into the pliable minds of children.

"Cedar! Over here!" Maddie waves Cedar Wood over and pours me a cup of jasmine tea. "Sugar, cream?" she asks, readying her spoon. She's managed to pull an entire garden table from her hat, with matching white iron chairs.

"Both, please," I say. I stir my tea gently, letting the scented wisps of steam caress my nose. Maddie has a talent for making the best tea around.

We're sitting under a serenity tree and the summer leaves are beginning to give way to the colors of fall. The courtyard at Ever After High is full of them, and watching them change on the first day of autumn is almost dreamlike. One day the green shades flicker away, replaced by vibrant reds and oranges.

Cedar Wood takes the seat next to mine and smiles, taking a sip of her prepared tea. She's a shy and introverted girl that I wouldn't have met, again, without Maddie. As the next Pinocchio, she strives to tell the truth as she's embarrassed by being thought of as a liar.

I wonder what Maddie and Cedar would say if I told them I didn't want to take the pledge. Over summer break, I was looking through some of my mother's old books that she keeps hidden away in the cellar. It was in their pages that I learned about "choice" and "creating your own destiny". These ideas were supposed to just be myths, but what if there was some truth to the legends?

What would happen if I _didn't_ take the pledge? What would change? Everything, I suppose. I wouldn't just be changing my destiny, but Apple White's, too, and Daring Charming's. For the good of the fairy tale community, I know what the right decision is. But my heart and my head are conflicted.

A loud boom shakes me out of my thoughts and I jolt to my feet.

In the distance, we can see a tuft of smoke blooming from Book End, a small shopping village connected to Ever After High. My ornately dressed classmates begin gathering in courtyard, blinking up at the sky as the smoke gets thicker and more menacing. They gasp and scream when another explosion spurts fire into the air, accompanied by an earthquake that knocks me to my knees.

_"What's happening?"_

_"What was that?"_

_"A fire!"_

"Is it a dragon? Here, at Ever After High?"

"Someone call the Knights in Shining Armor!"

Maddie and I look at each other, and I can see the worry in her eye. Book End is a safe place. The smoke is dark and heavy, and already forming _into_ something.

"Is it the Evil Queen?"

My stomach flips and my face burns red. My mother would never do this, never put me or my friends in danger. Cedar rests a hand on my shoulder and tries to reassure me with a smile, but her dark eyes are heavy with fear.

It's madness on campus. Fairy tales are running left and right, into the castle or the surrounding small buildings when another bang rings in the air. Fire begins painting the clouded sky orange and red.

Maddie grabs my wrists and starts running.

"Come on, Raven!"

The smoke from Book End stretches, long finger-like strands inching towards the school, like hands reaching for something. My heart clenches and I'm filled with the uneasy sense that it's me it's after.

Everything is happening so quickly.

_You can stop it, Raven, you have powers, you have magic, _a small voice whispers in my head. I shake the thoughts away, still running, feeling my lungs ache.

No. Every time I try to do good with it, it backfires and only gets worse.

Cedar screams when the darkness approaches and begins to fall like rain. It's oily and slick in appearance and forms and twists, rising to it's _feet_. I look back and see that it's something else entirely, a black creature, twitching in the sight of the sun. We've all stopped to stare at it, then at the jousting team, the school's resident group of strongest and most promising hero-to-be's. They feebly hold up their swords, cringing away from the little beast.

"What is it?" I hear someone shout.

"Oh no! It has Duchess!"

Duchess Swan cries out, and I throw back a glance; the creature grabs her wrists with almost lasso-like precision with it's outstretched arms.

"Oh peas and crackers!"

Maddie stops running and reaches into her bag; she pulls out a saucer and flings it at the creature; the glass shatters against its head and it screams, giving Duchess and opportunity to escape. She releases another, a look of determination on her small face.

Ivory Rabbit, daughter of the White Rabbit, thumps her high-heeled foot into the ground in a fast, hard rhythm, and the earth cracks like lightning, causing the creature to lose it's footing. It hisses at her, enraged. In a fluid movement, it spits inky black liquid at her, but she kicks up the earth, forming a barrier.

Maddie spins butter knives in between her fingers and hurls them at the creature. The metal absorbs into it. Undeterred, she reaches into her bag for forks and spoons, treating them carefully, as if they are great weapons.

The Wonderlanders are the only ones crazy enough to fight it, to try to hold it back before the Knights arrive, and the school is silent in the face of the battle.

My heart thumps in my throat and I feel my fingertips tingling with magic. I could hurt Maddie, my spell could rebound to devastating effects.

There's a loud clicking as Ivory launches a golden pocket watch at the creature; it detonates like a grenade and the beast breaks apart, spraying ink in a directions before reforming.

In a flash, Lizzie rushes through the castle doors, her face twisted by anger. Her red and black hair look like fire and smoke trailing behind her, whipping with the breeze.

_"Off," _she shouts, holding a playing card in between her fingers; it catches fire from Wonderland magic, _"with your head!"_

She sends it flying and in an instant, the dark creature dies, it's small head soaring through the air and crashing into the ground, evanescing into the breeze, like ashes.

With it's death, the smoky sky turns blue and the rumbling from Book End stops.

The campus is silent for a moment, faces staring in awe as Lizzie smirks, tidying up her gown and pulling her long hair back. She throws a look at the jousting team and glares.

"And you call yourselves _heroes_?" she snarls, picking up her skirt and making a royal exit, chin up as she enters the castle.

My heart thunders in my chest as she waltzes away, the students breaking into applause and cheers. I'm a coward. I could have stopped it, could have tried to at the very least.

"Raven, Raven what's wrong?" Maddie asks, snapping her fingers.

I blink. "No-nothing."

I stare at the spot where the creature had died. There's nothing left, no smoke, no vapor, not even a shadow printed into the ground.

What was it? Where did it come from? I've never seen anything like it before, not even in my copies of _Dark Incantations _or _Beasts of the Forest. _One thing I know for sure is that that thing hadn't been alive before the fire that struck Book End, it had been created from the smoke, but by what?


	2. A Misunderstanding

**Apple White, Daughter of Snow White**

Legacy Day.

The very thought of that magical day sends shivers up my spine and my stomach back flips with the anticipation of someday soon reciting the words "I pledge". Legacy Day marks the moment when I, Apple White, daughter of the legendary Snow White, will take my first steps to becoming the next "Fairest of Them All", an honor that I've treasured since birth; well not _that _young exactly. Being "Fairest of Them All" has always been my dream, and now, by the end of the this year, it will finally come to fruition.

I hastily adjust my crown and give my reflection a last look over. Blonde hair perfectly curled, perfectly styled, of course; red lips perfectly colored, of course; not a single blemish in sight. Just perfectly perfect.

And I have to be. As the next future Queen, I'm expected to be so. No mistakes, no outbreaks, no inclining of the rebellious. It's exhausting living up to these expectations.

I smile at myself.

"Here we go, Apple."

I loop my bag around the inside of my elbow and hug my Crownculus book to my chest; I can already hear the bustling of a new school year as I open the door.

Voices echo through the hall and my heels click on the stone floor.

_It's going to be an enchanted year, Apple. You're one step closer to your destiny. All your studying, all your hard work, it's going to pay off on Legacy Day. I can already feel the electricity in the air-_

The corridor shakes and I catch myself on the wall, my things tumbling to the floor.

"What as that?" I exclaim.

Through the open windows I can hear the screaming and I run towards them, hanging my head out. The courtyard is alive and buzzing, the dream trees rustling with the sudden gust; my hair whips across my face and I squint against the force of the breeze. The vibrantly clothed student body breaks in all directions and my heart catches in my throat; the sky is etched with darkness and smoke, thick, thunderously gray clouds engorging.

"What's happening?" I squeak.

I can see rain in the distance, near Book End. It drips almost like oil, a substance thicker and darker than water, and doesn't splash when it hits the ground. I can barely see what it becomes, a blob of contorted ink that takes the feeble shape of a creature I've never seen.

"The Knights!" I say. I pull out my magic mirror, letting my fingers glide over the smooth surface. It ripples like water and a face appears.

"Knights Department, what is your emergency?" he asks.

"Ever After High, we're under attack!" I say.

"Under attack?"

"Darkness, and fire, Book End is on fire!"

"On fire? What is your name, miss?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. He doesn't believe me.

"I am_ Apple White_, daughter of _Queen Snow White_, and you _will_ listen to me," I command. "Ever After High is under attack and it is your duty as a Knight-"

A scream interrupts me and I look back out the window. The inky creature has twirled it's stretchy arm around Duchess Swan; she's struggling against it, screaming, crying.

"Sir, you must hurry!" I say, shoving the mirror back into my bag.

I run down the hall; the students! As their future Queen, I must show them that I can protect them, that I can keep them safe.

A roar of applause stops me and I quickly and confusedly poke my head out of the nearest window.

Lizzie Heart of Wonderland stands erect by the castle doors, directly in front of where the creature had been; there's nothing there, no body, no nothing.

"Apple!"

Briar Beauty, my best friend forever after, comes ambling down the corridor, her brown hair bouncing with princess perfection at her shoulders.

"Briar! What's happening?" I ask.

"Holy fable, you have no idea," she says, hurriedly blotting any sweat away from her face. She digs through her bag and reaches for her Mirror Phone. "I have to update my status on MyChapter."

_"Briar,"_ I say, sternly.

"Oh, right," she says. "Book End was on fire, and...and...well, no one really knows how it caught fire, but when it did, _something _escaped." She pauses, for effect I presume.

"Escaped?"

"Yeah...whatever darkness that came from Book End attacked the school; it turned the whole sky black for a quick second, too. And then something fell from the sky!"  
"I saw that," I say. "Through the window, I saw it."

"Well, the Wonderlanders totally kicked it's fairy tail the fable out of here!" she says, her voice rising with excitement.

"How? Who?"

"Maddie, and Ivory, and Lizzie Heart even vanquished it."

Lizzie Heart? But...she's supposed to be _evil_.

"Was anybody hurt?" I ask.

"Duchess was a little bumped and bruised, but that's it," Briar says, adjusting her sunglasses.

"Has Headmaster Grimm called an assembly?" I ask, and we make out way back down the hall so I can retrieve my things. My books are scuffed, nothing a little white magic can't fix.

"I assume he will any sec-"

"Students of Ever After High, please report to the charmitorium immediately."

Briar smirks, "Right on time, Grimm."

I hang my head. This year wasn't starting off on the right note, and having a perfect ear for music, I should know.

This year is supposed to be the most magical yet and already it seems that the dark forces of evil are conspiring against me.

"Chill out, Apple," Briar says, noticing my grimace. "This is just a minor setback to an enchanted year."

"But the first day of every school year sets the tone for the months to come. I don't want to spend my days dodging unforeseen black magic that's determined to ruin Legacy Day."

"Draaaaama Queen," she sings, reapplying mascara.

I scrunch my face at her.

"If we're being honest here, I thought the whole thing was sort of thrilling. I live for perilous situations; which reminds me, I really want to take a Pegasus from the stables and go cloud jumping," she admits, tapping a reminder into her Mirror Phone.

"Thrilling? Briar, you're loonier than the Mad Hatter," I say.

"I hear Maddie's dad used to throw the most _wicked_ parties in all of Wonderland."

"Yes, _wicked_. As a future princess, I'd think you'd want to avoid such festivities."

"Heeello, as the future Sleeping Beauty, I think I'm entitled to a few years of fun before having to sleep for a century."

We reach the charmitorium and it's filled to the brim with gossiping fairy tales. I'm horrified to see excitement on their faces as they recant the horrifying situation from earlier.

"Lizzie was amazing!"

"Took it's head clean off with just _one _card, she did."

"Positively wicked, that girl."

Shaking my head, Briar and I make our way towards the front of the charmitorium, where the royals regularly sit. Daring and Hopper have saved us seat.

"Hey, Apple, where were you during the madness?" Daring asks.

"Getting ready for classes," I reply.

"Already? Classes don't start until tomorrow."

"Early bird get's the worm."

Headmaster Grimm his place on stage at the podium and clears his throat. At the sound of his voice, the crowd dies and sits up.

"Good afternoon, students. Now, I understand you must all have questions about what occurred not twenty minutes again. Let me assure you that there is nothing to fear. I'm told it was simply a spell gone bad by the Knights in Shining Armor. The alchemists have confirmed their findings and I'm happy to announce that the culprit has been apprehended as is now in custody."

Conversations break out around me.

"Silence, silence," Headmaster Grimm says. "Now, classes will resume as scheduled tomorrow morning. But before that, let us thank our brave jousting team for helping stop the beast."

The Jousting Club?

"That's not right," Briar whispers, her eyebrows locked together in confusion.

Daring and the rest of the jousting team take the stage to mixed applause. They smile and wave awkwardly, further confirming the crowd's disbelief. Briar had said that it was Lizzie that had stopped it, not the jousting team. I look back at the crowd and watch their faces twist in both anger and bewilderment. Lizzie Heart sits in the back, her eyebrow raised and her upper lip twitching.

"What's Headmaster Grimm thinking?" Briar asks.

Headmaster Grimm smiles and waves the boys back to their seats.

"You may now return to your activities." And then, he's gone.

"That was rotten of you, Daring," Briar snaps as she stand to leave. "Totally rotten. You and your teammates didn't lift a sword-"

"It's none of your business, Briar," Daring snaps back.

I've never known Daring to be cruel, but the look in his eye is most un-Charming. Briar crosses her arms, and stays behind to catch the gossip already beginning to burn.

"I'll catch up with you later, Daring," I say.

He nods and makes his way out.

Headmaster Grimm should have known that Lizzie stopped the creature. Perhaps he was was misinformed? Either way, I had to find him, I had to talk to him about how this would affect Legacy Day, _if _this would affect Legacy Day.

"That was completely uncool of Grimm," Briar says to Ivory Rabbit.

Ivory nods and crosses her arm.

"If I hadn't been late to the assembly, I'd have given him a piece of my mind."

"Briar," I interrupt.

She turns to me and blinks.

"Will you come with me to find Headmaster Grimm? I think we really must talk to him," I say.

"About the assembly?"

"Uh, yes," I lie.

"Alright, I'll talk to you later, Ivory."

Briar and I make our way through the castle, towards the Headmaster's office. Students are still locked in conversations around us, cursing the Jousting team.

"What exactly do you plan on saying to Grimm?" Briar asks.

"Um," I panic. "I want to ask who informed about the attack, and tell him the truth-"

"Apple, I can tell when you're lying."

I freeze, then frown.

"Why are we really going to see Grimm?"

I sigh in defeat. I could never fool Briar.

"I want to see if this is really over, if this will affect Legacy Day in any way."

"Legacy Day? You're still thinking about Legacy Day? That's weeks away!"

"It's closer than you think! We've worked too hard for anything to go wrong and mess up our Happily Ever After."

Briar frowns. "I know...I know..."

"Apple White, may I please see you in my office?"

Headmaster Grimm's voice comes behind us and I jump.

"Headmaster Grimm!" I gasp.

"Apple, Briar," he nods."Miss White, may I see you in my office, please?"

I nod, blinking up at him. I hand Briar my books and walk behind him.

"I'll see you in a bit," I say.

"Good luck."

Headmaster Grimm's office faces the Enchanted Forest and the sunlight bathes the room in gold. I take the seat across from his desk and he stands by the window, staring out into the wood.

"Miss White, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Yes, sir?" I ask.

He turns around and crosses his arm and I feel a knot twist in my stomach.

"A big favor."

**Leave me your thoughts!**


	3. Visions

**Madeline Hatter, Daughter of the Mad Hatter**

I can see the darkness peering from around the corner; thin, shadowy tentacles curling like fingers, beckoning me towards it. I follow it, cautiously stepping through the silent corridor, my heels clacking behind me. Sunlight bathes the hall in a golden shimmer and the darkness hurriedly retreats from it, desperately searching for shade.

Something about the darkness seems familiar; I recognize it from earlier, recognize it as the small creature that dripped from the sky and onto the school grounds. Well, it's not exactly the same, but the smoky texture of the shadows, the way it tangles in the air like something organic, are identical to the almost rabbit-like ears that sprouted from the top of it's head when it hissed at Ivory, almost imitating her appearance.

"Oh fiddle sticks," I sigh, watching it faze through the wall as I turn the corner.

I touch the stones, feel how cold they are. I cock my head and kneel, knocking on the stone.

"Hello? I'm here," I call, closing my hands together and waiting.

But nothing happens. It doesn't respond, nothing, not even a wisp pokes out at me.

"For the love of Mother Goose," I curse. "You come out here right now, Mr."

I wait, crossing my arms and attempting to look stern, but the very image of a crumpled expression on my face makes me laugh.

"Uh, Maddie?"

Raven stares at me bewilderingly, her dark eyebrows furrowed questionably. In the glistening afternoon light, Raven looks less like the future Evil Queen and more like a princess, her dark violet-streaked hair ending in curls below her waist.

"Oh! Raven, you've just missed the Darkness!" I say.

"The...darkness?" she asks.

"Yes, you know, from Monday morning! The sneaky creature," I say, turning away and tapping on the stone again. "Come now, don't be shy."

"You saw it?"

"Yes, he ran in here."

She looks at me and kneels beside, staring at the wall. She scrapes at the stone with her finger and sighs.

"I don't see anything," she says. "And you'd think that being the daughter of the Evil Queen, it'd show itself to me."

"Oh, you wouldn't, because I'm sure it hasn't come through here yet."

She raises a brow and purses her lips. "Another vision?"

I nod and jump to my feet.

"Come now, Raven, we're going to be late for Muse-ic," I chime.

She smiles and loops her arm with mine. Muse-ic is usually reserved for the Princesses-to-Be, but since it's technically an elective, anyone is allowed to join. Professor Piper seemed delighted when he saw all the new faces; Kitty and Ivory were both taking the class, too, so there was never a shortage of Wonderland mischief and tricks.

Students scurry away from us when we approach and Raven hangs her head.

"I'm not evil," she whispers harshly under her breath.

"Oh, Raven, who really cares what these fairy-fails think? You're going to be a Queen," I remind her, lifting Earl Grey from out of my purse. He smiles and adjusts his top hat before scuttling back inside.

"An _evil _queen," she groans.

I frown. Raven is the only fairy-tale I know that pushes against her destiny. And I can't blame her. Who would want to be the Evilest of them All? I wish there was some way she didn't have to go through with the Pledge, but it's unheard of; no one, in the history of the Fairy Tales, has ever denounced their destiny, so who knows what the ramifications could entail?

Dexter Charming stumbles in front of us and falls to his knees. He searches desperately for his glasses and we skip towards; Raven plucks them from the ground and gently places them into his wandering hands. For a Prince, he sure lacks hand-eye-coordination, which I imagine is a major hindrance when it comes to sword fighting and jousting, all mandatory courses for the Princes-to-Be. But I've heard that he's a real wiz when it comes to Crownculus and Good Kingdom Management.

"Oh, Dexter Charming, what ever will we do with you, you clumsy kitty," I sing, helping him steady himself.

He smiles bashfully and his face burns red when his eyes adjusts and realizes that Raven is standing beside me.

"H-h-hi Raven," he stutters.

I giggle.

"Hey, Dexter," Raven smiles, awkwardly rocking on her heels.

Dexter's liked Raven since fablementary, but Raven is so oblivious to it. I'd say something, but father always says to wait for the most opportune time to point out something that might embarrass someone, although I do think that is a bit cruel.

"Where are you fairy tales headed?" he asks, running his hands over the back of his hair.

"Muse-ic," Raven says.

He looks at us quizzically, furrowing his brow. "Isn't that strictly for princesses?" He scratches his head with genuine confusion.

Raven blushes.

"Tisk, tisk, Dexter, princesses are not the only fairy tales that like to sing," I chastise. "You haven't heard true beauty until you've heard Raven sing."

Raven's eyes bugle and her face lights red, like fire consuming her porcelain features.

Dexter gulps and laughs nervously.

"Well, it was nice talking with you guys, but I'm going to be late to Sword Training," he says, waving goodbye and disappearing down the hall.

"Such a strange little prince," I say.

_"Maddie," _Raven hisses.

"You'll thank me in the long run, little bird, you'll see," I say, smiling.

When we get to class, all the princesses look away uncomfortably, busying themselves with their sheet music, pretending to discuss whether the perfect love song is sung in C Major or F sharp.

"Oh, Raven! Come sit next to me!" Apple White cries from across the room. Briar waves us over and I hear Kitty and Ivory giggling in the back. Silly little pranksters.

"Oh, Raven, you simply must hear the new song I've been practicing," Apple says as we take the seats next her. Apple White is stranger than I am. She personally requested to room with Raven, her own personal villain, and relishes in the idea of bonding with her before the fated day of her poisoning.

Two rows in front of us, Duchess Swan turns around to look at us and rolls her eyes and whispers something to Holly O'Hair and she giggles, leaning in to tell Serena Siren.

"It isn't nice to gossip," Apple snaps.

Duchess's face scrunches and I feel my ears go hot.

"I was merely commenting on all the new faces this year," she says, raising an eyebrow at Raven, then me, and then turning her gaze to Kitty and Ivory. Ungrateful little crumpet. If hadn't been for us, she'd have been nothing but a myth.

"Everyone needs a perfectly good villain song," Apple defends.

Apple means well, but judging by the red in Raven's cheeks, it really isn't helping.

"Go quack somewhere else, Duchess," Briar says, one ear-bud in her ear, the sounds of the Tinker and the Bells pouring from the other.

Duchess glares and turns around.

"Don't listen to her, Raven," Apple says.

"She's a real ugly-duckling sometimes," I chime. "I think it's from all the feathers growing out of her ears."

Raven laughs quietly and perks up when Professor Piper starts the class.

I try to concentrate on my music, but something draws my attention. A dark tentacle sprouts through the door, the same darkness I saw in my vision earlier. It beckons me again, whispering something softly, so softly that I can barely understand.

I contemplate standing up to follow it, but I can't be sure that it's a vision.

Someone screams and falls back, knocking down their desk and the other girls run towards back of the classroom.

"The creature! It's back!"

And I'm right.


	4. Talk of Change

**Briar Beauty, Daughter of Sleeping Beauty**

Mother always says that a princess who can't defend herself is just asking to be locked away in a tower. Growing up, she taught me that a new era of princesses was on the horizon, that I could help pave the way for royals that no longer wanted to be trapped in their roles as damsels.

Needless to say, I'm rather unimpressed by my fellow princesses as they hurriedly, and I daresay a bit unladylike, bolt towards the back of the room when the darkness forms in the front of the class.

Professor Piper stammers and there's a definite _CLANK_ when he falls onto his rear, the sharp snapping of instruments breaking his fall.

Maddie and the other Wonderlanders swiftly take action, throwing aside their desks and readying themselves for a repeat of Monday's altercation.

My heart beats in my chest like a humming bird and a riot of butterflies bursts in my stomach. Something about the rush of danger gives the high of being in love. This stranger can only lead me down the wrong path, but I find it all very exciting.

The creature, nicknamed Inky by the student body over the past few days, hisses; in the center of his dark, little face are two jet black eyes that are nearly invisible in the smoky texture of his 'flesh'; a row of tiny, sharp teeth peek out from behind his open mouth, serrated and ready to bite.

"Girls! Please! Stay calm!" Professor Piper calls, trying to smooth the long line of girls trying to climb down Holly's hair.

No. I don't want to run. It's not who I am, not who I was raised to be.

I dig in my bag and feel the handle of my whip, a present given to me by my mother's fairies; I close my fingers on it and in a quick, fluid movement, I let it sing through the air, snapping it back against Inky's face. He cries out as the thorn-studded vine shreds through his cheek.

Apple gasps behind me, obvious shock draining the blush out of her face.

A deep guttural growl escapes from Inky's mouth and he barks at me, throwing his arm back, then forward, the smoke taking the shape of a whip, my whip. I scream and duck, crashing into the desks.

"Briar!" Apple cries.

Maddie flings a saucer at Inky and it whizzes with deadly precision, shattering on his forehead. He yelps and glares, the coal shade of his eyes hazing into red; he aims his arm at Maddie and -

"ENOUGH!"

Raven throws her arms out and bright lavender light accompanies the ear-splitting boom that fills the room. I can hear the soft sizzle of mist but I'm still blinded by the light so I can't what's happening.

There's silence and the only thing I can hear is my tight wheezing in my ears.

Slowly, I open my eyes, expecting to see the worst. It's a known fact that Raven can't use her magic for good, ever since we were little nursery rhymes, she'd try to make a rose bloom, but it'd only twist into a venus-flytrap and devour the other flowers.

But when I look up, Inky is gone, vanished, the only remnant of his existence is a small dusty circle burned into the ground.

Maddie and the Wonderlanders stare at Raven in awe, smiles breaking on their faces.

"Raven! You did it! It's gone!" Maddie shouts, skipping and scooping Raven into a hug,

Raven looks more surprised than anyone, her violet eyes wide with shock and her mouth slightly ajar with speechlessness.

The other girls just stare, unsure of what to do.

Professor Piper tidies himself up, adjusting his glasses on his slightly crooked nose.

"We-we-well I presume some congratulations are in order," he smiles, resting a hand on Raven's feathered shoulder.

A few of the other princesses join in awkward applause. Smiling, I walk over.

"That was really incredible, Raven," I say.

She doesn't say anything, the shock is still new and hasn't had time to wear off.

Apple joins me, but I can see the discomfort behind her smile. I can't help but be disappointed in her. I try not to blame her for her selfishness, since she has been pruned to be the next queen, it's not entirely her fault. But this I can't stand for. Raven just saved us, saved her. And a little gratitude would be appreciated.

"Witch!" Duchess cries, and I'm surprised she's even still here.

"Duchess Swan, you hold your tongue!" Professor Piper says.

"No, Professor! For all we know she summoned the creature and just sent it away to make herself look good!" Duchess accuses.

"That's ridiculous!" I shout.

Raven blinks at me in disbelief.

"Peas and crackers, you crumpet-face! Raven wouldn't do that," Maddie defends.

"But she's evil, we all know it!"

Raven flinches behind the coldness of her words and Maddie turns red.

"Duchess, that's _enough_," Apple says, anger locking her brows together. "You're _mean_ and _cruel_, and in my future kingdom, there will be no place for unkind princesses. You dishonor our pledge to love and accept all fairy tales, even those destined to cause us harm. Being born with royal blood does not give you the right to step on others."

I blink, unsure if what I just heard was actually said.

Duchess glares at Apple, her beady eyes shrinking as they narrow.

"Fly away, little pigeon," Kitty sniggers.

Duchess crosses her arms and stomps out through the door, a wake of her fairy minions trolling slowly behind her, hanging their heads in shame and embarrassment.

I smile smugly at them as they cross me.

Maddie hoots and hugs Raven again.

"Oh Raven, you did it! Things are looking up! Maybe there is hope for you to be able to change your destiny!"

Apple snaps her head in their direction.

"What!?" she squeals.

No. This isn't happening. I can feel the heaviness beginning to overtake me, the drawl of sleep edging on my eyelids, the promise of dreams already singing like a lullaby.

The last thing I remember before falling asleep is talk of change.


	5. The Dream Eater is Coming

**Raven Queen, Daughter of the Evil Queen**

I didn't know you could actually feel eyes on you until this very moment. I always thought it was nothing more than a silly expression, but right now, eyes widened by shock bore into me and my skin starts to crawl. I want to disappear, vanish in a tuft of purple smoke, to my room, the forest, my home, anywhere but here. But, I haven't advanced in Teleporting yet, so I'm stuck here, face burning red as Apple White's big eyes become even bigger with the passing seconds. I count twelve ticks on the clock before I hear a loud thump as Briar crashes to the floor.

"Oh my!" Professor Piper squeaks and rushes to her side.

Noticing her mistake, Maddie wraps her hand around my wrist and we disappear with the slightest _pop. _All Wonderlanders have the ability to appear and disappear at their leisure, which I severely envy.

"Maddie!" I say, exasperated.

Her face contorts to the side and she avoids looking at me, coiling a gloved finger in her springy purple and gray hair.

"It just came out, I couldn't stop it," she defends, her words rushing together.

I'm not so much angry with her as I am confused. I hadn't vocalized my thoughts to her, about changing my destiny, about changing the Fairy Tale world. But somehow she knew that I was brewing over with these ideas.

I drop to the floor, sliding my back against the stone walls. I'm suddenly very breathless. I close my eyes and imagine myself somewhere else, not in this dank, dark room, but somewhere with sunlight, with open fields, with singing breezes. Anywhere but Ever After High.

I can almost feel the warmth of sunshine on my cheeks, smell the fresh scent of grass, over lavender.

"How did you even know?" I ask, eyes still closed, mind lost in wonder.

I hear Maddie sit next to me, feel the heavy fabric of her dress lay atop mine. I think how even our clothes lead us to our fates. Maddie is always in puffy skirts with ornate gold and purple scrawling etched into the fabric, polka-dotted tights and gloves, unique and cute little hats with dangly earrings. Apple and the other princesses are constantly dressed as if they are ready to attend a ball. Bright dresses coordinating perfectly with their headbands or tiaras, sparkly jewelry tailor designed for her fairy tale, a different handbag ever day of the week.

Me? I'm dressed in blacks and purples, tight fitting corset dresses with lots of netting and fishnets. It's jarring, seeing the same type of black heel, the same chain designed adornments, spiked headpieces. For once, I want to wear a ball gown, I want to feel lace, white lace; I want to have what the girl's in Fairy Tale's Finest are wearing, the latest trends in fairy couture.

"I saw it in a dream, or a vision, I can't really be certain," she answers.

"What did you see, exactly?" I'm almost too afraid to ask.

"Just...change. I don't know if it's for good, or for bad. But I could feel change rattling in my bones."

Change. It's a universally despised word to all fairy tales. No one wants to be held responsible for a difference in storyline, or a deviation in plot. It's like this for forever after.

"Apple is going to hate me," I groan. "Or just be extra nice to me to try to make me upset. I can't decide which is worse."

"You could just be mean to her, that would confuse her," Maddie chimes.

I give her a sideways look and she giggles.

"I just wish..." I start, resting my head on the wall.

"Yes?"

"I just wish I wasn't Raven Queen," I admit.

Maddie blinks at me confusedly.

"If you weren't Raven Queen, then you wouldn't be you, and if you weren't you, I wouldn't have a best friend," she says sadly, her usually bright, happy eyes are heavy with this absolute truth.

I smile weakly. "We'll never not be friends."

She smiles back, though I'm not convinced by it.

"Do you think, if I take the Pledge and become the next Evil Queen, that you'll see me differently?" I ask. The question's been burning in my mind for a while now, and I decide that now is the best time to ask her, when we're alone.

"No, Raven, I don't think I will," she says. "Just because you're destined to go a little coo-coo, doesn't mean that I'll stop loving you. Look at me, I'm supposed to be the craziest person in all of Wonderland," she laughs.

I laugh with her, feeling relieved.

"I don't want Legacy Day to get here," I say. "I'm not ready for the absolute hatred that's to come."

Maddie laces her fingers with mine.

"If my vision is right, you might not be hated. You might even have a Prince Charming in your future," she winks.

"Me? Have a prince? I don't think so," I say.

"A mister Dexter Charming comes to mind," she teases, tapping her chin.

I blush. "He's just confused."

She raises a brow.

"He's mad for you, positively mad for the ravishing Raven beauty," she smiles.

"It's not allowed," I whisper. "Even if I wanted to...it's not allowed."

"Says who?" she pouts.

"I take it Wonderlanders have different rules," I say. "It's forbidden for students to be in relationships that have no been predetermined by destiny. Me and Dexter? It's never going to happen." I'm saddened by the hollow truth in my words, and the hollowness echoes in my heart. "I'm never going to have a fairytale sunset."

Maddie beats her tiny fist into the floor.

"Peas and crackers! How is that fair!? Affairs of the heart, let no man pull apart!" she cries. "It's outrageous! Love can't be tamed. It's wild and free, you have to let it burn, not stifle it."

"Oh Maddie," I whisper, resting my head on her shoulder. "My precious little hatter."

"What do _you_ want now?" she snaps impatiently.

"Excuse me?" I ask, sitting up, confused.

"Oh, not you Raven, _him_," she scowls.

It takes me a while to see what she sees; in the corner of the dungeon, there's a silhouette, a dark shadow somehow apart from the darkness in the room. It has shape and a silky, smoky texture, almost like a man, a tall man with wide and boxy shoulders.

My heart thumps in the back of my throat and I want to scream. It could attack us, it could take us. It could do anything for all I know. But instead of inching towards us, it _bows. _It places a shadowy hand atop it's head and removes what I can only assume to be a hat, and it bows.

I think I hear it say something, like a stifled 'thank you'.

"Don't listen to it, Raven, it's nothing but a liar," Maddie says.

I look at her in shock. She's so brave, but her dauntless attitude might get us hurt if she angers it.

But I don't even know what it's saying, I can't even tell if it's talking or not.

She stands up quickly, balancing on her heels angrily.

"Get away, you, go back to the darkness," she shoos.

"Maddie, stop, you're going to make it mad," I try, holding her wrist.

"Fiddlesticks," she says. "It nothing but a shadow, it can't do anything but turn off the light."

The shadow man returns the hat back to the top of it's head and fazes into the wall, into the darkness. There's a heavy sigh when it disappears, like rushing wind passing by my ear. But this time, I have no doubts it said something.

"The Dream Eater is coming..."

**Thanks for reading! Any and all feedback is appreciated, so don't hesitate to tell me what you thought about! I'm sorry it takes so long in between chapters, but I only know how it ends, not all the in between stuff, so I'm learning what's happening next with all of you! **


	6. The Dream Eater Waits

The Inkling twitches, it's ears curling in and out of it's head nervously when the man walks in, smelling of mildew and old books, books that have been forgotten and discarded; tucked away in the farthest reaches of a library, collecting the dust from lightless years. He walks towards the single chair, ornately carved from what was a petrified tree, and sits.

Beside the Inkling, the Shadowman stands quietly and waits for him to speak.

The man, called the Dream Eater, is tall and gaunt with bone-white skin and sharp features. His heavy lidded eyes are black, the color of nightmares. He purses his chapped lip, the skin cracked and ruined, and crosses his impossibly thin arms, the smooth, gossamer fabric of his cloak letting in the pale gray overhead light, revealing an emaciated and distended belly.

"What news do you bring?" he hisses, his voice as inky as an oil slick. The Inkling shudders and busies itself by playing with it's ears, his beady, coal-like eyes looking everywhere but up.

The Shadowman's voice is lighter than air, "Madeline Hatter is proving to be a problem. She and the rest of the Wonderlanders have become quite a _nuisance_." His tone is matter-of-fact, emotionless.

The Dream Eater raises an eyebrow and sighs, brushing his long, skinny fingers through his wispy gray hair.

"Wonderlanders, the loose gears in their heads have completely managed to desensitize them to fear. They're all insane, you know? Each and every one of them," he says, pulling a strand of shadow out of the air. The shadow twists and shifts, forming the outline of a girl. "And what of Raven, what of the little songbird?" He stares at the shape longingly.

"It is as you predicted," the Shadowman says. "She's doubting her place in her fairytale."

The Dream Eater chuckles, the sound of a faraway echo.

"The life of a villain is a sad one," he says. "A lonely one. It's easily accepted when you don't have any friends, no _love." _He pauses and watches the outline change, becoming two shapes. "But it would seem that times have changed since my day."

The Dream Eater stands and the Inkling scuttles back, dripping onto the floor.

The hall is wide and spacious and lit only by the stream of moonlight trickling through an overhead window. The Dream Eater reaches out for it, his skin emitting a pearlescent sheen, his bones and tendons completely visible.

"I need you to watch her," he says. "Stay hidden, of course, but keep a keen eye. She's impressionable, weak; and she's searching for a way out, and I can give her that."

"But the Hatter girl," the Shadowman says. "She can see me, sense me."

"I'll leave her to you. Use the Inklings, use the shadows, use anything, I don't care."

"But-"

"Just do what you can," he interrupts, his voice catching with impatience. He sighs, pinching the top of his nose, "Forgive me. Just..._try_. Legacy Day will be here sooner than we can say 'Once Upon a Time', and Raven Queen is the one piece I need to complete this jigsaw. Too long I've been lost here, spending my endless days trapped in this wretched, dank hell. And if all goes according to my plan, all my work will soon come to fruition."

He smiles wickedly, revealing translucent teeth.

Wisps of smoke dance in the stream of moonlight, the image of Raven Queen waltzing with a faceless figure reflects in the Dream Eater's eyes.

"Come to me, my little bird. Come to me and we can change the world."

**Sorry for such a short chapter, but I'm writing Apple's right now and polishing up the previous chapters! Hopefully this chapter can give you a bit more insight into what's to come.**


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